Donald-Taylor is a massive movie fan and his passion for the big screen is clear for all to see.
The director of the 14th Inverness Film Festival, which is under way this week, said: “One of the most magical aspects of cinema is that it opens up a window on to the world.
“It shows you sights and people that you might otherwise never get the chance to experience and, unlike television, cinema does so on the big screen.”
At this year’s festival, which is on at Eden Court in Inverness until Sunday, November 13, audiences can spread their wings from the comfort of their cinema chairs and visit Mongolian plains, join a pilgrimage across Tibet and travel the globe from Brazil to Canada, Iran to Japan.
There’s also a chance to have a look through the lens to see what life was like in this part of the world decades ago with Remembering the Highlands and Islands Film Guild. This event takes place on Friday, November 11, and is an evening of 16mm films, stories and poetry but replicated in the style that cinema goers in the 20th-century Highlands would be familiar with.
This will be followed on Saturday by a writing workshop about local memories of visits to cinemas, experiences of mobile cinemas, etc. On the Sunday, the festival will celebrate early female directors with Real Illuminators: Scotland’s Pioneer of Documentary Filmmaking.
One film with a local edge is 16 Years Till Summer, which is set partly in Lochcarron and tells the story of Uisdean who has been in prison for 16 years, wants to rebuild his life and look after his father in the Highlands. Film-maker Lou McLoughlan will take part in an audience Q&A following the screening of the film tomorrow, at 6.30pm.
Another film that might sound familiar to locals is The Bell Ringers, a short movie by Kenneth Macleod which focuses in the bell ringers at Inverness Cathedral. It can be seen at 11am tomorrow.
For those who really love a day at the cinema, the screening of Abel Gance’s 1927 masterpiece Napoleon is ideal. This newly restored, glorious silent epic movie lasts more than five-and-a-half hours. This will be the first time it’s been seen in cinemas for more than 70 years. To make sure audiences don’t start to feel the strain of sitting for so long, there will be three intervals for them to stretch their legs.
This year’s festival also features outstanding new work from some of the world’s great auteur directors including Terence Davies and Spike Lee.
Today’s highlights include Lee’s Chi-Raq (Wesley Snipes) at 8.15pm, and special previews of The Light Between Oceans (Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander) at 6pm and The Accountant (Ben Affleck) at 8.30m.
On Saturday night there’s a film that’s really best suited to the very brave…
Raw, starring Grace Marillier, caused quite a panic when it was screened at the Toronto International Festival, according to Paul.
“The story is about a girl, from a family of vegetarians and vets, who, as part of a coming of age college ritual, is forced to eat meat which in turn leads to cannibalism.
“I’d advise you to either have your dinner long before coming or eat later as I understand people were being sick and fainting when it was screened in Toronto. We’re going to have staff on standby with night vision goggles to make sure everyone is all right.”
But there’s also plenty of films on a lighter note to choose from as the festival has several genres including Roof of the World, films shot in some of the world’s highest regions; new Australian cinema, Brazilian movies, New World cinema, a French film festival, and lots of short films.
The closing night film is Manchester By The Sea (Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler). This will be the Scottish premiere of the film about how the life of a lonely Boston janitor is transformed when he returns to his hometown to take care of his teenage nephew. Funny and moving, the film has been tipped for Oscar glory.
For tickets contact Eden Court box office on 01463 234234 or visit www.2016.invernessfilmfestival.com